Diet update: mission accomplished

I see I had a diet updated listed here but no final results.  Well in 17 weeks, I was able to lose 42 lbs. using the Medifast diet plan.  It went pretty fast with great results. Now the though part, keeping it off for good.  So far, eight weeks later, I've been able to keep it off.  So far so good.

Now I can lose weight on my own, but I've always gained it back. I chose Medifast because they have a good record of people keeping it off.  They stick with you for a year after you've lost the weight or as I like to say, they don't leave you behind to grow your behind.

Welcome Facebook Fans

So now what do I say?  Well, to everyone who thinks everything I say here will be about all my personal information, you'd be wrong.  My goal is to inform and entertain about whatever I feel like writing about.  However, here are the ground rules I live by.  1. I only mention the name of the company I work for once and that's it. 2. I will not be the first one to give out someone's personal information. But once it's out there. It's free for comment. 3. I've chosen to be open about myself but it does have limits that I will never cross.  4. Trust me. I have an abundance of common sense. I will not personally try to destroy anyone. I know, ... so what?  All I can say is stay tuned. I'm just getting started back up. I'm a bit rusty.

God's Not Dead

If you get the chance to see it, I highly recommend the movie, "God's Not Dead".   I just saw it tonight and I was blown away by it. It is one of the best movies I've seen in awhile. I would say it is the best "Christian Movie" I have ever seen.  Now granted, the bar is low here since most "Christian Movies" aren't very well done. But this one is exceptional. Please go see it.

The problem with Facebook

First off, I am a fan of Facebook.  Upon moving to AZ I would not have been able to keep track of family and friends had it not been for Facebook.  It really has been good to connect with all the old friends too.

Unfortunately, I get so sick and tired of all the political crap people pass around. Don't they realize that some paid political operative is sending this stuff our hoping the many dupes will just pass it along on Facebook as the Gospel Truth.

Now yes, I have been guilty of this in the past myself. But I'm done with it. Facebook people are being used to spread a pile of crap. Now if someone would have the courage to post an original piece on why they believe in what they believe. I'm totally in favor of it. That is what Facebook was designed to do in the first place.

These pass alongs are so partisan and just horrible. People, please tell me what you think. I okay with it. Hiding behind political pass alongs is why we are such a divided country. If we actually had to interact with someone in a lively discussion we may find we have more in common than not in common.

The Bully Pulpit

Eveyone's favorite topic of the moment is school bullying. I was the victim of school bullying growing up so I know all about it first hand. Did I fight back? No. Did I take it? Yes. Did I ever do anything about it? Well, sort of. I may have told my brother Jerome about it and at Wednesday nigh church school, he yelled at some of my tormentors.  It stopped it that night but that's about it. In many ways, my brother made it worse. So what do you do?

Here's the thing. I grew up in a small town. You learn to get along. You have too. The bully in the second grade who sits two desks over, will still be sitting there two desks over in the 12th grade. You don't have to like them, but you learn to get along.

If I would have beat the crap out of all my tormentors, what would that accomplish? It wouldn't have made my life easier. Yes, it would be good to stand up for myself, but I didn't need more people mad at me, I didn't need my parents to get involved, I didn't need the school district to get involved. I didn't need the attention or the "help" because, in my view, it was easier to tolerate than cause more problems.

I think that might be part of the problem we have in society these days. The street gang mentality has taken over, where the worst thing to happen to you is to be "disrespected".  I remember a friend from the Star Tribune telling her little girl on the phone not to take any crap from other kids. Well...how does that usually end up?  In a fight.  I choose not to fight. But don't confuse that with cowardice. I have never been a coward and believe me, when the time comes, I do fight and will fight.

I have to start writing ideas down.

It never fails when I'm driving to and from work I come up with some great ideas to write about but then when I sit down later to write about them, I forget?  It drives me crazy. It sucks getting old. So I will shoot from the hip.

Memories and Events

I've also decided to use this blog to record some of my thoughts and events from my past. I've been thinking a lot lately about my father Carl Rosenberg.  He was a great man and I think he has had the most influence over the man I am today. My dad was very hard working, honest, upbeat and a real people person. He loved to joke and have fun and talk with people.  Now my dad used to cuss a lot but after awhile you learn to tune it out because it was just the way he talked. This sounds bad in today's world but in my dad's time, I don't think it was that big of a deal. My dad only knew one word for black people. Yet, when given the opportunity to demonstrate true racism, he showed he wasn't. For example, my cousin married a black man. Believe me, this was not popular at the time. But at a family gathering, my dad was one of the few relatives to go up and talk to the new family member. He said he felt sorry that no one was talking to him so he went over to welcome him to the family. He really liked the new family member and was impressed with him. It just goes to show that actions are always more important than words.